Lobo Men’s Basketball takes on No. 8 Cincinnati in Ohio tonight

After a heartbreaking first-of-the-season loss to South Dakota State at home last Saturday and a drop from bothnational ranking polls, Alford’s pups have a lot to prove in tonight’s game.

Cincinnati, averaging almost 80 points per game and over 46 (that’s right, 46) rebounds per game, is one of the last undefeated team in the nation. However, none of these wins have come over ranked opponents, and this team, while clearly strong, hasn’t exactly had a chance to prove itself in what some are calling a “cupcake schedule.”

UNM, with its second-best start in school history at 12-1, had outrebounded other teams by an average of 5.3 points and held opponent shooting to 40.1% from the field leading into Saturday’s catastrophe. With a deep bench, high endurance and a strong defensive bite, this Lobo team has proven itself a worthy opponent in the early-season race.

There is no doubt about it, sparks are going to fly in the east-meets-west matchup between one team looking to hold onto its reputation and another trying to regain it. Let’s just hope the Lobos come in fierce and fighting.

Catch all the action at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 or follow along on the ESPN scoreboard. Let’s get ready to throw our Lobo hands in the air and hoooowl!